Best Pregnancy Discrimination Lawyers in Florida
Donna M. Ballman
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
Our Fort Lauderdale law firm is headed by Donna M. Ballman. Donna Ballman has built a reputation as skilled and knowledgeable attorney in all of the aspects of labor and employment law, including discrimination,noncompete agreements and employment agreements, pregnancy discrimination and family responsibilities, sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination.
An honors graduate of Wellesley College, Attorney Ballman received her J.D. from the University of Miami, also with honors, in 1986. She has received many awards and honors from her peers in the legal profession, including being named in 2000 as a member of Leading Florida Attorneys voted on by members of the Florida Bar. She is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2006, has been named a Top South Florida Attorney in 2002, by South Florida Legal Guide in 2002-14 and is listed in Who’s Who in American Law.* Donna M. Ballman is AV-rated and has received the highest peer review rating under Martindale Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating process.***
Derek Smith
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
Derek Smith has practiced sexual harassment and discrimination law for over 25 years. He has obtained the largest emotional distress jury verdict ever to be sustained on appeal in the entire United States for an employment law case. Derek Smith has also secured a settlement in excess of $15,000,000 on behalf of a client.
Attorney Derek Smith is an experienced labor & employment law litigator who has particular experience in the areas of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, civil rights litigation, employment law, and civil litigation. Attorney Smith received his J.D. in 1994 from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, his B.A. in 1991 from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., and studied at the Université de Droit, d’Économie, et des Sciences d’Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence, France.
Attorney Derek T. Smith is admitted to the state bars of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and California. Derek Smith is admitted to the Federal Courts in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and California. Derek Smith is also proud to be admitted to The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.
Attorney Smith is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”), National Employment Lawyers Association of New York (“NELA/NY”), New York State Trial Lawyers (“NYSTLA”) and practices in the New York, Florida, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles offices.
Attorney Smith is also a Judge in the annual Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition as well as a Judge in the Charles W. Froessel Intramural Moot Court Competition.
Attorney Smith has personally litigated and resolved numerous high profile cases against multi-billion dollar corporations and has attained some of the largest employment law verdicts in workplace discrimination and sexual harassment, with his clients receiving millions in damages in these cases.
Derek T. Smith is fluent in English and French.
KEITH M. STERN
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
The firm’s principal attorney, Keith M. Stern, first discovered his passion for labor & employment law as an undergraduate student at Arizona State University, where he studied the civil rights movement, human resources issues, and business, completing in his Honor’s Thesis entitled “Improving the Performance Approval Process: A Multirater Assessment Approach.”
Next, at the University of Miami School of Law in Coral Gables, Florida, Mr. Stern focused his studies on the field of labor & employment law and began working as a law clerk at T.H. Buscaglia and Associates, a boutique Plaintiff’s-side employment law firm. During his time at the University of Miami, Mr. Stern served as Vice President of the Labor and Employment Law Society and as an Articles and as Comments Editor for the Entertainment and Sports Law Review.
In order expand his knowledge and experience, in 1999, Mr. Stern began working as a law clerk at Fisher & Phillips LLP, a national law firm specializing in the representation of management in labor and employment defense matters. Subsequently, Mr. Stern served as an intern at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), received the Dean’s Certificate of Achievement in Employee Benefits Law, and earned high honors in UM Law’s Litigation Skills Program.
Upon graduation from law school in 2000, Mr. Stern spent one year as an Associate Attorney at the management-defense firm Allen Norton, & Blue, P.A., before deciding to open his own employment law practice in Miami, where Mr. Stern worked as a sole practitioner specializing in both counseling and litigation between late 2001 and early 2004. In mid-2004, Mr. Stern joined the Shavitz Law Group, P.A. in Boca Raton, where over the next decade, he litigated complex individual and collective actions for unpaid overtime and minimum wages on behalf of thousands of employees in federal courts throughout Florida and across the United States.
William M. Julien
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
Florida employment lawyer William M. Julien has focused on employment law issues since 1994. He opened his own law firm to protect employees’ rights in 2002. He earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco. In college, he was named Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year as an NCAA wrestler at Wright State University in Ohio. He brings that same wrestler’s toughness, tenacity, and will to win to your employment law claim.
While many of my law firm’s employment law clients come from communities between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, we have handled workers’ rights cases all over Florida. There’s never a charge for an initial consultation. We handle most claims on a contingent fee basis, so you won’t be charged for legal fees until your case is resolved in your favor. Many laws covering employee rights claims also require your employer to pay your attorney’s fees if you win.
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 1994
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1995
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2004
- U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1997
Education
- University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
- J.D. – 1993
- Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
- B.A. – 1988
- Honors: Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year
Professional Associations and Memberships
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- Florida NELA
- American Association for Justice, (formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
- American Bar Association
- Palm Beach County Trial Lawyers
- Broward County Trial Lawyers
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum)
KYLE J. LEE
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
Kyle is admitted to practice law in all Florida State Courts and the United States Court for the Southern, Middle, and Northern District of Florida.
Kyle is a Southern California native and attended the University of California, where he graduated early. Shortly after finishing college, he decided to attend Florida A&M University College of Law.
The day he enrolled in Florida A&M Law, Kyle knew that he wanted to fight for the people, not against them. While at Florida A&M Law, Kyle served as an editor of the highly regarded Law Review. He was also on the Dean’s List and earned the highest grade in multiple classes. Kyle graduated from Florida A&M Law with honors and was in the top 15% of his class.
After graduation, Kyle worked at large law firms representing some of Tampa’s most well-known employers in employment-related disputes. His passion for representing workers in employment disputes allows him to aggressively advocate for his clients’ best interests. He is ready and willing to fight for you.
AWARDS:
- Top 40 Under 40 (National Black Lawyers)
- Top 40 Under 40 Employment Lawyers (American Society of Legal Advocates)
RICHARD CELLER
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
Richard Celler is the Managing Partner of Richard Celler Legal, P.A., a/k/a the Florida Overtime Lawyer. He created this firm after having served as the Founding Member and Managing Partner of one of the largest employee/plaintiff side employment law divisions in the United States.
Mr. Celler managed a team of over 40 employees and 11 lawyers handling single plaintiff and class action employment and discrimination cases throughout Florida and the United States.During his development of this Division, Mr. Celler trained each of the lawyers in the division on the law applicable to employment situations, how to litigate these cases successfully, and how to build a successful employment law practice by keeping the main priority in mind – – the client.
During Mr. Celler’s tenure as the Division Head, he successfully guided his team to substantial settlements and verdicts in thousands of cases including resolutions between $1,000,000 to in excess of $9,500,000.00, on single cases.
Mr. Celler was also the lead trial lawyer for the Division, and secured total client verdicts in excess of $330,000.00 and $1,100,000.00 in employment law trials regarding HIV Discrimination and Family Medical Leave Act Discrimination.
Mr. Celler has served as the first chair (or lead trial counsel) in excess of 40 employment law trials, and has managed thousands single plaintiff and class action overtime and employment cases, throughout Florida and nationwide. In November 2013, Mr. Celler left big firm life with the idea of reopening his own litigation firm with an emphasis on something most big firms cannot provide – – a lower volume of cases, and more focus on the needs and attention of every single client.
Mr. Celler’s practice focuses on all areas of the employment context from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under the Florida Civil Rights Act, Title VII, the Family Medical Leave Act, and other employment related statutes. Additionally, Mr. Celler represents individuals in whistleblower and wage and hour litigation (overtime, minimum wage, commissions, final paychecks).
P. Daniel Williams
Employment Lawyer/Pregnancy DiscriminationLawyer
P. Daniel (“Dan”) Williams is a Florida Board Certified Labor and Employment Law Specialist, and is one of the founding members of Magid & Williams, PA, in Jacksonville, Florida. The firm limits its practice to the area of labor and employment law, representing primarily employees. Mr. Williams received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, with honors, from Drake University Law School in 1994. He has practiced labor and employment law since becoming a member of the Florida Bar in 1994, and he has earned the highest “AV” peer rating in the Martindale Hubbell Law Directory. Jacksonville’s 904 Magazine has listed Mr. Williams in “Legal Eagles – Top River City Lawyers.”
Having developed a passion for representing pregnant workers, Mr. Williams is the published author of his own law book,The Pregnancy Discrimination Act: A Guide for Plaintiff Employment Lawyers. This legal treatise is published by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), one of the most prominent legal publishers in the United States.
Mr. Williams is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Florida Coastal School of Law (FCSL), in Jacksonville, where he teaches Remedies, a class regarding monetary damages and other relief that can be obtained in civil cases. Mr. Williams frequently lectures on advanced employment law topics at continuing legal education seminars.
He is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (N.E.L.A.), the Jacksonville Bar Association, and the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Mr. Williams served as the President of the Florida Employment Lawyers Association (Florida Chapter of N.E.L.A.) in 2008-09, served as the Vice President of Programming in 2007, and has been on the executive board of Florida N.E.L.A. from 2006 until the current time. He has also been actively involved in the Publications Subcommittee of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Florida Bar.
Mr. Williams is admitted to practice in all Florida courts, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida, and the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. His experience includes representing employees in cases involving sexual harassment and discrimination based on gender, pregnancy, age, race, national origin, disability, religion, etc. He also has experience representing employees in cases involving family and medical leave, unpaid wages and overtime claims under the FLSA, covenants not to compete, employment contracts, whistle-blower retaliation, FMLA retaliation and interference, workers’ compensation retaliation, and other aspects of labor and employment law.
Sunshine State, Shadowy Practices: Unveiling Pregnancy Discrimination and the Crucial Role of Lawyers in Florida
Florida, the “Sunshine State,” beckons with its pristine beaches, vibrant culture, and thriving job market. However, for expecting mothers in the workforce, this sunshine can be obscured by the dark clouds of pregnancy discrimination. This comprehensive guide empowers women in Florida to understand their rights, recognize discriminatory practices, and navigate this challenge with the unwavering support of skilled legal expertise.
Unmasking a Persistent Problem: The Reality of Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination occurs when an employer treats a woman less favorably or takes adverse employment actions against her because of her pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. This illegal practice violates federal and state laws, undermining the well-being and career prospects of expecting mothers.
- Federal Protections: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against women based on pregnancy. This includes unfair treatment, denial of promotions, or termination due to pregnancy.
- Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA): Florida offers additional protections through the FCRA, which applies to employers with four or more employees. It prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions.
Red Flags on the Horizon: Recognizing Signs of Discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination can manifest in subtle and overt ways. Here are some red flags to watch out for:
- The Hiring Hurdle: Facing resistance during the interview process or being passed over for a promotion due to pregnancy.
- A Hostile Work Environment: Enduring offensive comments or jokes about pregnancy or a changing body.
- Unequal Scheduling: Being unfairly assigned physically demanding tasks or facing unreasonable scheduling changes that disrupt prenatal care.
- Reduced Hours or Forced Leave: Experiencing a reduction in work hours or being pressured to take unpaid leave due to pregnancy-related needs.
- Termination or Layoffs: Facing termination or layoffs that disproportionately target pregnant employees.
- Denial of Accommodations: Employers are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related needs, such as bathroom breaks, modified work schedules, or temporary lifting restrictions. Denial of these accommodations can be a form of discrimination.
Empowering Yourself: Understanding Your Rights as a Pregnant Employee
Florida law empowers expecting mothers. Here’s what you should know about your rights in the workplace:
- Pregnancy is a Protected Class: Federal and state laws recognize pregnancy as a protected class, just like race, gender, or religion. Discriminating based on pregnancy is a violation of the law.
- Reasonable Accommodations: Employers must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related needs unless doing so would cause undue hardship to the business. This can include modifications to work schedules, breaks for breastfeeding, or temporary changes in job duties.
- Confidentiality of Medical Information: Employers are legally bound to keep your medical information confidential, including details about your pregnancy and related conditions.
- Retaliation is Illegal: If you complain about pregnancy discrimination or request accommodations, it’s illegal for your employer to retaliate against you.
Seeking Legal Support: Why a Lawyer is Your Champion
Navigating pregnancy discrimination can be emotionally taxing and legally complex. Here’s why retaining a skilled lawyer is a critical step:
- Understanding Legal Nuances: Pregnancy discrimination laws can be intricate, with specific requirements and potential exceptions. A lawyer with expertise in Florida employment law can ensure your rights are protected and guide you through the legal process.
- Building a Strong Case: Legal professionals can analyze evidence, identify clear violations of your rights, and build a compelling case on your behalf. This can involve collecting witness statements, documenting discriminatory behaviors, and gathering medical records when necessary.
- Expert Negotiation and Representation: Many cases can be resolved through skilled negotiation with your employer. A lawyer can advocate for a fair resolution, which may include reinstatement, back pay, or policy changes to prevent future discrimination. If necessary, they will represent you effectively in court.
- Emotional Support and Guidance: Facing discrimination during pregnancy can be stressful. A lawyer can provide invaluable emotional support and ongoing guidance throughout your legal journey.
Finding the Right Advocate: Resources for Legal Support
- Seek Recommendations: Talk to friends, family, or colleagues who may have faced pregnancy discrimination in Florida and inquire about their lawyers.
- The Florida Bar: Contact the Florida Bar for referrals to qualified lawyers specializing in employment law and pregnancy discrimination.